making the neighbors worry

So P hasn't been going to work lately. His car sits in the driveway all day. Don't you think that's going to worry the neighbors that we've lost employment and are now going to be another foreclosure in the neighborhood? Luckily, P is actually working from home now with his new job for Florida Virtual School. Hurray! He's super excited to not have to commute. He's super excited to teach. He's super excited for our closet to get retrofitted as his new office.

I feel so anti-climactic telling this good news. I've known for weeks, but P didn't want me to shout it from the roof tops. Then the day of announcement came and went with meeting with the AC guy and the phone guy and the plumbers that came to investigate the wet spot in the office/closet. So here we are a week later.

I'm struggling with my emotional neediness for him to be available if he is home. But the wonderful thing is that he's making money and supporting our family. I think that a lot of marriages could benefit from appreciation of that simple reality, when it exists. Who needs flowers when there is money in the bank. Heck no, not me. Please don't waste money on things so fading and fleet as flowers.

It is rather amazing to me in this current hub-ub of the Mommy Wars, how often the "stay at home" mom is touted as a luxury. It's like you're only aloud to be a stay at home if you have no financial worries. How about some props to moms who stay at home even though things are tight. And dads too, who stay home for the benefit of the kids even though having them in day care would bring home a little more money a month if there were 2 parents working.

Having parents raise their children is an ideal, like having parents not get divorced. But it's not some golden, unattainable ideal for the independently wealthy. Actually, it is for the independently wealthy. Like us. You know, that don't have to buy things just because they are shiny. Use it up, make it do! P is giddy to be getting an iPhone after 5 years of not being able to justify the expense. He decided to be independent of his wants. That is wealth.